An adult patient with sickle cell anemia is being treated for a severe acute crisis with an opioid analgesic, a glucocorticoid, and hydroxyurea

The patient's complete blood count reveals neu-trophils 2000/mm3, platelets 85,000/mm3, reticulocytes 85,000/mm3, and a hemoglobin of 4.2 gm/dL. What will the nurse anticipate doing? a. Decreasing the glucocorticoid dose
b. Increasing the glucocorticoid dose
c. Increasing the hydroxyurea dose
d. Stopping the hydroxyurea


D
Hydroxyurea can cause severe myelosuppression with life-threatening reductions in blood-cell counts. This patient's neutrophil count and hemoglobin level indicate toxicity, so the hydroxyu-rea should be interrupted until blood counts improve. Decreasing or increasing the glucocorticoid is not indicated. Increasing the hydroxyurea would worsen the myelosuppression.

Nursing

You might also like to view...

The nurse working in the pediatric clinic performs many activities. Which of these nursing activities can be classified promoting health promotion and maintenance? Standard Text: Select all that apply

1. Administering the flu vaccine to infants from 6 to 23 months of age 2. Administering an antibiotic to a child with a diagnosis of acute otitis media 3. Teaching parents how to perform pulmonary drainage and cupping on their child with a respiratory infection 4. Instructing adolescents how to use dental floss 5. Discussing of daily feeding schedules for infants

Nursing

The medical-surgical nurse working with a client who has a somatoform disorder will find planning

is facilitated by the understanding that the client will probably a. readily seek psychiatric counseling. b. be difficult to convince to seek psychiatric help. c. attend psychotherapy sessions without encouragement. d. be eager to discover the true reasons for his or her physical symptoms.

Nursing

An elderly patient does not complain of thirst. What should the nurse do to assess that this patient is not dehydrated?

1. Ask the physician for an order to begin intravenous fluid replacement. 2. Ask the physician to order a chest x-ray. 3. Monitor serum osmolality level. 4. Ask the physician for an order for a brain scan.

Nursing

The nurse is caring for a client with AIDS. Who is responsible for evaluating the outcomes of care for this client?

A) The physician and nurse B) The nurse and the client C) The healthcare team, client, and family D) The client and family

Nursing